Hair structure of brown bears (Ursus arctos L.) from North America and Scandinavia

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (9) ◽  
pp. 2404-2409 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Elgmork ◽  
H. Riiser
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
North America ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Significant Negative Correlation ◽  
Hair Shaft ◽  
The Body ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Brown Bears ◽  
Hair Diameter

Analysis of measurements of guard hairs from North American brown or grizzly bears and Scandinavian brown bears (Ursus arctos L.) showed variation over the body and along the hair shaft. Using the medullary index, i.e., the medullary diameter as a percentage of the hair diameter, comparisons were made among body areas, age groups, geographical areas, sexes, and seasons. Statistically significant differences were found among body areas. Hairs from the foreleg were shorter and wider, with a smaller medullary index than those from other body areas. There was a weak but statistically significant negative correlation between the medullary index and age of individuals. Medullary indices from Scandinavian bears were significantly greater than those from Alaskan bears, which in turn were greater than those from bears of the contiguous United States. There were no statistically significant differences between the medullary index and sex or season.

Selective predation by brown bears (Ursus arctos) foraging on spawning sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. 974-981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory T Ruggerone ◽  
Renn Hanson ◽  
Donald E Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Sockeye Salmon ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Oncorhynchus Nerka ◽  
The Body ◽  
Upstream Migration ◽  
Selective Predation ◽  
Bristol Bay ◽  
Brown Bears ◽  
Risk Of Predation ◽  
Salmon Population

Selective predation by and predation rates of brown bears (Ursus arctos) foraging on spawning sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in a small shallow creek in the Wood River lake system near Bristol Bay, Alaska, were quantified during 1986 and 1990–1992. Bears killed a high proportion of spawning salmon when few salmon entered the creek (92% of 505 fish) and a much smaller proportion when the spawning population reached a historical high (16% of 15 631 fish). Selective predation on salmon that differed in length, sex, and spawning condition was measured by tagging salmon at the mouth of the creek immediately prior to upstream migration and then recovering dead tagged fish during daily surveys of the entire creek. The relative frequencies of large, medium-sized, and small salmon killed by bears indicated that the risk of predation was more than 150% greater for large than for small salmon. A higher proportion of the male salmon population was killed and a greater proportion of male bodies were consumed than female salmon. Selectivity for male salmon increased as the spawning season progressed, possibly because male salmon weakened earlier and lived longer in a weakened state than female salmon. Male salmon were attacked mostly along the dorsal hump area, whereas female salmon tended to be attacked along the abdomen, where eggs could be exposed. Bears selectively killed female salmon prior to spawning during 1 of the 3 years, but only 6.1–7.8% of the female spawning populations were killed prior to spawning. These data support the hypothesis that selective predation by bears may influence the body morphology of spawning salmon.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and Treatment and Immunization of Children—The Time to Redefine Pediatric Age Groups is Here

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. e0010
Author(s):  
Klaus Rose ◽  
◽  
Jane M. Grant-Kels ◽  
Earl B. Ettienne ◽  
Oishi Tanjinatus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Drug Approval ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Body ◽  
Kawasaki Syndrome ◽  
Pediatric Age ◽  
Prevention And Treatment ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Inflammatory Syndrome

Children are infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as often as adults, but with fewer symptoms. During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) in children (MIS-C), with symptoms similar to Kawasaki syndrome, was described in young minors testing positive for COVID-19. The United States (US) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defined MIS-C as occurring in <21-year-olds, triggering hundreds of PubMed-listed papers. However, postpubertal adolescents are no longer children biologically; the term MIS-C is misleading. Furthermore, MIS also occurs in adults, termed MIS-A by the CDC. Acute and delayed inflammations can be triggered by COVID-19. The 18th birthday is an administrative not a biological age limit, whereas the body matures slowly during puberty. This blur in defining children leads to confusion regarding MIS-C/MIS-A. United States and European Union (EU) drug approval is handled separately for children, defined as <18-year-olds, ascribing non-existent physical characteristics up to the 18th birthday. This blur between the administrative and the physiological meanings for the term child is causing flawed demands for pediatric studies in all drugs and vaccines, including those against COVID-19. Effective treatment of all conditions, including COVID-19, should be based on actual physiological need. Now, the flawed definition for children in the development of drugs and vaccines and their approval is negatively impacting prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in minors. This review reveals the necessity for redefining pediatric age groups to rapidly establish recommendations for optimal prevention and treatment in minors.

scholarly journals Development of a noninvasive photograph-based method for the evaluation of body condition in free-ranging brown bears

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9982
Author(s):  
Yuri Shirane ◽  
Fumihiko Mori ◽  
Masami Yamanaka ◽  
Masanao Nakanishi ◽  
Tsuyoshi Ishinazaka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Accurate Method ◽  
Condition Index ◽  
The Body ◽  
Length Ratio ◽  
Brown Bears ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Free Ranging

Body condition is an important determinant of health, and its evaluation has practical applications for the conservation and management of mammals. We developed a noninvasive method that uses photographs to assess the body condition of free-ranging brown bears (Ursus arctos) in the Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan. First, we weighed and measured 476 bears captured during 1998–2017 and calculated their body condition index (BCI) based on residuals from the regression of body mass against body length. BCI showed seasonal changes and was lower in spring and summer than in autumn. The torso height:body length ratio was strongly correlated with BCI, which suggests that it can be used as an indicator of body condition. Second, we examined the precision of photograph-based measurements using an identifiable bear in the Rusha area, a special wildlife protection area on the peninsula. A total of 220 lateral photographs of this bear were taken September 24–26, 2017, and classified according to bear posture. The torso height:body/torso length ratio was calculated with four measurement methods and compared among bear postures in the photographs. The results showed torso height:horizontal torso length (TH:HTL) to be the indicator that could be applied to photographs of the most diverse postures, and its coefficient of variation for measurements was <5%. In addition, when analyzing photographs of this bear taken from June to October during 2016–2018, TH:HTL was significantly higher in autumn than in spring/summer, which indicates that this ratio reflects seasonal changes in body condition in wild bears. Third, we calculated BCI from actual measurements of seven females captured in the Rusha area and TH:HTL from photographs of the same individuals. We found a significant positive relationship between TH:HTL and BCI, which suggests that the body condition of brown bears can be estimated with high accuracy based on photographs. Our simple and accurate method is useful for monitoring bear body condition repeatedly over the years and contributes to further investigation of the relationships among body condition, food habits, and reproductive success.

Use of stable isotopes to determine diets of living and extinct bears

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (11) ◽  
pp. 2080-2088 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. V. Hilderbrand ◽  
S. D. Farley ◽  
C. T. Robbins ◽  
T. A. Hanley ◽  
K. Titus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Isotopic Fractionation ◽  
Columbia River ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Isotopic Signature ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Brown Bears ◽  
River Drainage ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Isotopic Analyses

The potential use of stable-isotope analyses (δ13C and δ15N) to estimate bear diets was assessed in 40-day feeding trials using American black bears (Ursus americanus). Bear plasma and red blood cells have half-lives of ~4 days and ~28 days, respectively. The isotopic signature of bear plasma is linearly related to that of the diet, and with the exception of adipose tissue, there is no isotopic fractionation across bear tissues. Isotopic analyses were used to estimate the diets of three bear populations: Pleistocene cave bears (U. speleaus) in Europe, grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) inhabiting the Columbia River drainage prior to 1931, and brown bears (U. arctos) of Chichagof and Admiralty islands, Alaska. Cave bears were omnivores with terrestrially produced meat contributing from 41 to 78% (58 ± 14%) of their metabolized carbon and nitrogen. Salmon contributed from 33 to 90% (58 ± 23%) of the metabolized carbon and nitrogen in grizzly bears from the Columbia River drainage. Finally, most brown bears on Chichagof and Admiralty islands feed upon salmon during the late summer and fall; however, a subpopulation of bears exists that does not utilize salmon.

GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION IN SIZE IN NORTH AMERICAN BROWN BEARS, URSUS ARCTOS L., AS INDICATED BY CONDYLOBASAL LENGTH

1963 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Rausch
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Yukon Territory ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Species Variation ◽  
Brown Bears ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Condylobasal Length ◽  
Mean Size ◽  
Arctic Coast

Variation in size of brown bears, Ursus arctos Linnaeus, indicated by condylobasal length of the skull, has been studied in 357 specimens comprising series from 26 regions in North America. These were selected by criteria defined from a previous study of growth in black bears, U. americanus Pallas, since it was determined that the growth pattern is essentially the same for the two species. Variation in mean condylobasal length in the series studied is clinal; a well-defined gradient exists along the coastal zone from Bella Coola, British Columbia, to the end of the Alaska Peninsula, with mean condylobasal length increasing from south to northwest. A similar gradient was evident along the Arctic Coast, beginning in the region of Coronation Gulf. In the interior, small mean values were obtained for samples from the western Yukon Territory, with mean size increasing toward both the southeast and the northwest. It is concluded that formal recognition of segments of intergrading populations of brown bears at the subspecific level is not justified. Brown bears on Kodiak–Afognak–Shuyak Islands comprise a reproductively isolated population possessing distinctive cranial characteristics, and to them the name U. arctos middendorffi Merriam is applicable. It is proposed that U. a. horribilis Ord be used for brown bears over the greater part of the range of the species in North America. The number of subspecies of U. arctos recognized in Eurasia also may be reduced, with the study of comparable series of skulls.

Women and Religion in Colonial North America and the United States

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine A. Brekus
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Native American ◽  
North America ◽  
Asian American ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Body ◽  
Equal Rights ◽  
Religious Traditions ◽  
Early American ◽  
American Catholic

Historically, women in colonial North America and the United States have been deeply influenced by their religious traditions. Even though world religions like Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam are based on scriptural traditions that portray women as subordinate to men, women have made up the majority of most religious groups in America. While some Americans have used religious arguments to limit women’s legal, political, and economic rights, others have drawn on scripture to defend women’s dignity and equality. Women’s religious beliefs have shaped every aspect of their lives, including their choices about how to structure their time, their attitudes toward sexuality and the body, and their understanding of suffering. Unlike early American Catholic women, who saw their highest religious calling as the sisterhood, most white colonial women identified their primary religious vocation as ministering to their families. In the 19th century, however, white Protestant women become increasingly involved in reform movements like temperance, abolitionism, and women’s suffrage, and African-American, Native American, Asian-American, and Latina women used religious arguments to challenge assumptions about white racial supremacy. In the 20th century, growing numbers of women from many different religious traditions have served as religious leaders, and in some cases they have also demanded ordination. Despite these dramatic changes in religious life, however, many religiously conservative women opposed the Equal Rights Amendment during the 1970s and early 1980s, and in the first decades of the 21st century they have continued to identify feminism and religion as antithetical.

Major components of grizzly bear diet across North America

2006 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 473-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garth Mowat ◽  
Douglas C Heard
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
North America ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Grizzly Bear ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Skull Size ◽  
Meat Diet

We measured stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in guard hair of 81 populations of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos L., 1758) across North America and used mixing models to assign diet fractions of salmon, meat derived from terrestrial sources, kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka (Walbaum in Artedi, 1792)), and plants. In addition, we examined the relationship between skull size and diet of bears killed by people in British Columbia. The majority of carbon and nitrogen assimilated by most coastal grizzly bear populations was derived from salmon, while interior populations usually derived a much smaller fraction of their nutrients from salmon, even in areas with relatively large salmon runs. Terrestrial prey was a large part of the diet where ungulates were abundant, with the highest fractions observed in the central Arctic, where caribou (Rangifer tarandus (L., 1758)) were very abundant. Bears in some boreal areas, where moose (Alces alces (L., 1758)) were abundant, also ate a lot of meat. Bears in dryer areas with low snowfall tended to have relatively high meat diet fractions, presumably because ungulates are more abundant in such environments. Kokanee were an important food in central British Columbia. In areas where meat was more than about a third of the diet, males and females had similar meat diet fractions, but where meat was a smaller portion of the diet, males usually had higher meat diet fractions than females. Females reached 95% of their average adult skull length by 5 years of age, while males took 8 years. Skull width of male grizzly bears increased throughout life, while this trend was slight in females. Skull size increased with the amount of salmon in the diet, but the influence of terrestrial meat on size was inconclusive. We suggest that the amount of salmon in the diet is functionally related to fitness in grizzly bears.

scholarly journals Fractional urinary fluoride excretion of 6–7-year-old children attending schools in low-fluoride and naturally fluoridated areas in the UK

2012 ◽  
Vol 109 (10) ◽  
pp. 1903-1909 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. V. Zohoori ◽  
R. Walls ◽  
L. Teasdale ◽  
D. Landes ◽  
I. N. Steen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Significant Negative Correlation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Pearson’S Correlation ◽  
North East ◽  
Important Trace Element ◽  
Pearson's Correlation ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Relationship

F is an important trace element for bones and teeth. The protective effect of F against dental caries is well established. Urine is the prime vehicle for the excretion of F from the body; however, the relationship between F intake and excretion is complex: the derived fractional urinary F excretion (FUFE) aids understanding of this in different age groups. The present study aimed to investigate the relationships between (1) total daily F intake (TDFI) and daily urinary F excretion (DUFE), and (2) TDFI and FUFE in 6–7-year-olds, recruited in low-F and naturally fluoridated (natural-F) areas in north-east England. TDFI from diet and toothbrushing and DUFE were assessed through F analysis of duplicate dietary plate, toothbrushing expectorate and urine samples using a F-ion-selective electrode. FUFE was calculated as the ratio between DUFE and TDFI. Pearson's correlation and regression analysis were used to investigate the relationship between TDFI and FUFE. A group of thirty-three children completed the study; twenty-one receiving low-F water (0·30 mg F/l) and twelve receiving natural-F water (1·06 mg F/l) at school. The mean TDFI was 0·076 (sd0·038) and 0·038 (sd0·027) mg/kg per d for the natural-F and low-F groups, respectively. The mean DUFE was 0·017 (sd0·007) and 0·012 (sd0·006) mg/kg per d for the natural-F and low-F groups, respectively. FUFE was lower in the natural-F group (30 %) compared with the low-F group (40 %). Pearson's correlation coefficient for (1) TDFI and DUFE was +0·22 (P= 0·22) and for (2) TDFI and FUFE was − 0·63 (P< 0·001). In conclusion, there was no correlation between TDFI and DUFE. However, there was a statistically significant negative correlation between FUFE and TDFI.

Implications of a high-energy and low-protein diet on the body composition, fitness, and competitive abilities of black (Ursus americanus) and grizzly (Ursus arctos) bears

2011 ◽  
Vol 89 (6) ◽  
pp. 546-558 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.N. McLellan
Keyword(s):  
Body Composition ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Ursus Americanus ◽  
Protein Body ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Field Investigation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Black Bears ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Low Protein

Plants are not ideal foods for bears yet many populations are largely vegetarian. Implications of this diet on the body composition, fitness, and competiveness of black ( Ursus americanus Pallas, 1780) and grizzly ( Ursus arctos L., 1758) bears have had limited field investigation. The analysis of scats of grizzly and black bears from the Flathead valley, British Columbia, suggest seasonal dietary differences between species, but >85% of the summer diet of both species were fruits that are low in protein. Body composition measurements showed bears loose fat during spring, gained fat during summer, and grizzly bears were leaner than black bears. Individual black bears gained mass up to 2.7 times faster than theory predicted. Bears rapidly gained fat but lost lean tissues while feeding on fruit, suggesting that lean tissues were used to buffer seasonal protein shortages. Comparisons among populations of grizzly bears without access to salmon revealed the amount of meat in the diet was positively related with adult female mass but negatively related with bear density. Bears have the behavioural and phenotypic plasticity which enables populations that focus their foraging on plants to have small but fat females and live at higher densities than populations that focus more on obtaining terrestrial meat.

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